Kogi Court Sentences Man to Death for Kidnapping Murder

On March 23, 2023, a Kogi State court, presided over by Justice Abdul Nicodemu Awulu, sentenced Jibrin Halilu to death for the kidnapping and murder of his neighbor, Uch Andrew Offo. Halilu, a member of an armed gang, was found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap, violating the Kogi State Kidnap Related Offences Prohibition Law of 2023.

The incident occurred when Halilu and his gang stormed the Ever Ready Hotel in Obajana, abducting Offo and demanding a ransom of N2.5 million. Despite the ransom being paid by Offo's family, Halilu and his accomplices killed him.

The Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Halilu on December 4, 2025, following investigations that linked him to the crime. This case follows a recent trend of severe penalties for kidnapping and murder in Nigeria, as seen in the death sentences imposed on four men for their roles in the June 5, 2022, terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.